Monday 27 June 2016

List of largest mosques


(1) Masjid al-Ḥarām, المسجد الحرام‎‎,



The Masjid al-Ḥarām, المسجد الحرام‎‎, literally "the sacred mosque"), also called the Sacred Mosque, and the Grand Mosque or Great Mosque of Mecca, is the largest mosque in the world and surrounds Islam's holiest place, the Kaaba, in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Muslims face in the Qibla (direction of the Kaaba) while performing Salat (obligatory daily prayers). One of the Five Pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world, at least once in his or her lifetime if able to do so, including Tawaf (circumambulation) of the Kaaba.
The current structure covers an area of 356,800 square metres (88.2 acres) including the outdoor and indoor praying spaces and is open at all times.



(2) Al-Masjid an-Nabawī, المسجد النبوي‎‎

Al-Masjid an-Nabawī, المسجد النبوي‎‎; Prophet's Mosque) is a mosque established and originally built by the Islamic prophet Muhammad, situated in the city of Medina in Saudi Arabia. Al-Masjid an-Nabawi was the second mosque built in the history of Islam and is now one of the largest mosques in the world. It is the second-holiest site in Islam, after al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. It is always open, regardless of date or time.
The site was originally adjacent to Muhammad's house; he settled there after his Hijra (emigration) to Medina in 622 CE. He shared in the heavy work of construction. The original mosque was an open-air building. The mosque served as a community center, a court, and a religious school. There was a raised platform for the people who taught the Quran. Subsequent Islamic rulers greatly expanded and decorated it. In 1909, it became the first place in the Arabian Peninsula to be provided with electrical lights. The mosque is under the control of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The mosque is located in what was traditionally the center of Medina, with many hotels and old markets nearby. It is a major pilgrimage site. Many pilgrims who perform the Hajj go on to Medina to visit the mosque due to its connections to the life of Muhammad.



(3) Moscow Cathedral Mosque

Moscow Cathedral Mosque, Московская соборная мечеть, Moskovskaya sobornaya mechet) is the main mosque of Moscow, Russia. It is located on Olimpiysky Avenue, close to the Olympic indoor stadium in the centre of the city.
The original structure was built in 1904 according to the design of the architect Nikolay Zhukov and has undergone some reconstructions since then. It was also sometimes called "Tatar Mosque" because its congregation consisted mainly of ethnic Tatars. Socially, the Moscow Congregational Mosque was often viewed as the central mosque in Russia. It was one of the four mosques in Moscow.
The old mosque was demolished on 11 September 2011. The decision to demolish it was controversial. In June 2008, the mosque was recognized as an object of cultural heritage, however, in the end of 2008 it was removed from the list of historical and architectural monuments.




 (4) Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque

The  Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque, Ахмата Кадырова,  is located in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya. It is one of the largest mosques in Russia and is officially known as the "The Heart of Chechnya" (Russian: Сердце Чечни, Serdtse Chechni; Chechen: Нохчийчоьнан дог).
The mosque is named after Akhmad Kadyrov who commissioned its construction from the mayor of Konya. The mosque design with a set of 62-metre (203 ft)-tall minarets is based on the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul.
On October 16, 2008, the mosque was officially opened in a ceremony in which Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov spoke and was with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. In this mosque, ten thousand Muslims can pray at a time. This means that the statement of mosque being the largest in Russia is not true, as e.g. Makhachkala Grand Mosque in Dagestan has space for 15,000 to 17,000 worshipers.
The mosque contains one of Muhammad's relics, a 1400-year-old bowl used by Muhammad which after his death was allegedly kept by his daughter Fatimah and her husband Ali.



(5) Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque

Islam permanently arrived in the 15th century, during the Ottoman expansions. Sufism subsequently spread, years later, and enjoyed rapid spread through this small Caucasus country, and has since remained an integral part of the local populations’ lives. It has remained with them through much of their turbulent history, including the occupation by Ivan the Terrible, the expulsion by Stalin to Siberia and Kazakhstan, and now the most recent conflict, their struggle for separation from the Russian Federation.
Held in conflict for so long, the Chechen people have been unable to litter their nation with symbols of their Sufi heritage. Now, standing tall in the middle of Ahmad Kadyrov Square in Grozny is Ahmad Kadyrov Mosque, the largest mosque in Europe.
Initially, Chechen separatists planned to build a small mosque in this square over the site of the former headquarters for the Communist Party’s regional committee. It was to be a symbolic gesture for the end of the Communism in Chechnya. Those plans, however, were abandoned when Separatist President Dzhokhar Dudayev, second-in-charge Ahmad Kadyrov, and their militia, Kadyrovtsy, went to war with the Russians from 1994 to 1996.



(6) Imām 'Alī Holy Shrine, حرم الإمام علي‎‎

The Imām 'Alī Holy Shrine, حرم الإمام علي‎‎), also known as Masjid Ali or the Mosque of 'Alī, located in Najaf, Iraq, is the third holiest site for some of the estimated 200 million followers of the Shia branch of Islam. 'Alī ibn Abī Tālib, the cousin of Muhammad, the first Imam (according to Shia belief) and fourth caliph (according to Sunni belief) is buried here. According to Shi'a belief buried next to Ali within this mosque are the remains of Adam and Noah. Each year millions of pilgrims visit the Shrine and pay tribute to Imam Ali.
The shrine was first built by the Buyid shahanshah 'Adud al-Dawla in 977 over the tomb of Ali. After being destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt by the Seljuk Malik Shah I in 1086, and rebuilt yet again by the Safavid Shah Ismail I shortly after 1500.



(7) Al-Azhar Mosque,الجامع الأزهر

Al-Azhar Mosque,الجامع الأزهر‎‎ al-Gām3` al-Azhar, "mosque of the most resplendent") is a mosque in Islamic Cairo in Egypt. Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah of the Fatimid Caliphate commissioned its construction for the newly established capital city in 970. Its name is usually thought to allude to the Islamic prophet Muhammad's daughter Fatimah, a revered figure in Islam who was given the title az-Zahrā′ ("the shining or resplendent one"). It was the first mosque established in Cairo, a city that has since gained the nickname "the City of a Thousand Minarets."
After its dedication in 972, and with the hiring by mosque authorities of 35 scholars in 989, the mosque slowly developed into what is today the second oldest continuously run university in the world after Al Karaouine in Umayyad Fes. Al-Azhar University has long been regarded as the foremost institution in the Islamic world for the study of Sunni theology and sharia, or Islamic law.




(8) Al-Fateh Mosque,

The Al-Fateh Mosque, Al-Fateh Islamic Center & Al Fateh Grand Mosque) (Arabic: مسجد الفاتح‎‎; transliterated: Masjid al-Fatih) is one of the largest mosques in the world, encompassing 6,500 square meters and having the capacity to accommodate over 7,000 worshippers at a time. The mosque was built by the late Sheikh Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifa in 1987 and was named after Ahmed Al Fateh, the founder of Bahrain. In 2006, Al-Fateh became the site of the National Library of Bahrain.
The mosque is the largest place of worship in Bahrain. It is located next to the King Faisal Highway in Juffair, which is a town located in the capital city of Manama. The huge dome built on top of the Al-Fatih Mosque is constructed entirely of fibreglass.


(9) Shrine of Imam Hussain ibn Ali,مقام الامام الحسين‎‎

The Shrine of Imam Hussain ibn Ali,مقام الامام الحسين‎‎ , is one of the oldest and renowned sites of pilgrimage which comprises the mosque and burial site of Imam Husayn Ibn Ali, the third Imam of Shia Islam, in the city of Karbala, Iraq. It stands on the site of the Mausoleum of Imam Husayn ibn Ali, the second grandson of Muhammad, near the place where he was martyred during the Battle of Karbala in 680 C.E..The tomb of Imam Husayn ibn Ali is one of the holiest places for Shias outside of Mecca and Medina, and many make pilgrimages to the site. Every year, millions of pilgrims visit the city to observe Ashura, which marks the anniversary of Imam Husayn ibn Ali's death.

Al-‘Abbās Mosque, مسجد الامام العباس‎‎
The Al-‘Abbās Mosque or Masjid al-‘Abbās, مسجد الامام العباس‎‎) is the mausoleum of ‘Abbās ibn ‘Alī and historical building, located across from the Imām Husayn Mosque in Karbalā, Iraq. ‘Abbās was son of Ali ibn Abi Talib and the half-brother of Hasan and Husayn, and was the flag-bearer for Husayn in the Battle of Karbalā. Also, he was the chief of the caravans of Husayn ibn Ali. The distance between the shrines of ‘Abbās and Husayn is the same as the distance between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah. The shrine is especially revered by the Shia who visit it every year, in the month of Muharram rather than various other times of the year.
Environmental effects over the years have caused the Euphrates river to change direction. Nearly 1400 years after the Battle of Karbalā, the river flows across the grave of ‘Abbās and encircles it. It is said that the Euphrates has come to ‘Abbās now.



(10) Badshahi Mosque, بادشاہی مسجد‎

The Badshahi Mosque, بادشاہی مسجد‎, Imperial Mosque) in Lahore was commissioned by the sixth Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Constructed between 1671 and 1673, it was the largest mosque in the world upon construction. It is the second largest mosque in Pakistan and the seventh largest mosque in the world. It is Lahore's most iconic and famous landmark and a major tourist attraction. Aurangzeb's mosque's architectural plan is similar to that of his father, Shah Jehan, the Jama Masjid in Delhi; though it is much larger. it also functions as an idgah. The courtyard which spreads over 276,000 square feet, can accommodate one hundred thousand worshippers; ten thousand can be accommodated inside the mosque. The minarets are 196 feet (60 m) tall. The Mosque is one of the most famous Mughal structures, but suffered greatly under the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In 1993, the Government of Pakistan included the Badshahi Mosque in the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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